Overview
- Barnet Hill Academy, an independent Islamic primary, was approved by Barnet Council in August to convert to a voluntary‑aided state school and is due to join the state sector at the start of September.
- The school’s published uniform policy states a hijab is “compulsory” for girls from Year 3, listing it with other required items of school uniform.
- A council spokesman has since told reporters the policy is legally compliant and not compulsory for non‑Muslim pupils, a qualification that does not appear in the published policy and has not been supplied to the public.
- Conservative MPs Laura Trott and Joy Morrissey have written to the council asking for the operative policy, saying the discrepancy raises questions about compliance with the Equality Act and whether the rule could discourage families of different or no faith from applying.
- The case highlights how voluntary‑aided governance lets faith school governors set uniforms while using public funds and could prompt legal or administrative scrutiny over transparency, equality duties and how the policy is applied to children.